WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 7, 2006 UPDATED WITH MORE PIX COACH INTERVIEW: Joe Petit’s 67 yard sweep to paydirt on the Tigers second play of the day set the tone Saturday afternoon at sunsplashed Tony DeMetteo Field in Yonkers, followed by his pickup of a blocked punt and subsequent return of the poached pigskin to gave the Tigers a 13-8 lead at the half.

Paul LaBarbera hit Ray Mitchell on a flying crossing pattern over the middle for a 56-yard scoring strike to take Roosevelt out of the game to start the second half, then added a 5 Yard pretty pitch to Savaughn Green at the close of the third quarter to cap a day of aggressive defense and Tiger gang tackling and notch their first win of the season, beating Roosevelt 26-8.

Like Jim Taylor! Joe Petit,  (# 10) on Tigers’ second play from scrimmage in First Quarter in left of picture turns corner on the Jet Sweep, thanks to terrific block by Mike Howard (15) just like Vince Lombardi drew it up for Jim Taylor in the 1960s. Petit then high tailed it down the sideline outrunning three Roosevelt defenders.

THEY’RE NOT GONNA GET HIM! Petit (10) outruns the last outpost at the 20 yard stripe on his 67 yard touchdown run at 3 minutes into the first quarter Saturday afternoon. Photos, WPCNR Sports.

The White Plains Tigers played a swarming vicious defense today and made big plays on the arm of Quarterback Paul LaBarbera to rip apart the Roosevelt High Indians. The Tigers spent much of the afternoon in the Roosevelt backfield lead by linebacker Mike Howard, Defensive End Savaughn Greene, Linebacker Bobby Thompson, and Joe Petit from his defensive end spot. For the first time the Tigers showed an effective pass rush that overwhelmed Roosevelt blockers and hurried  Zach Thompson every time he tried to throw, and blocked two punts. But it was lightning strikes, not sustained drives that made the difference.

 

Sack of Woe: Spectacular pursuit by Shivaugn Green who is pinning Roosevelt’s QB on his own 15 in the 3rd quarter. It was typical of the Tiger ferocity today. Photo, WPCNR Sports

 

After the opening series in which the Tigers stopped the Indians three times and forced a punt. The Tigers ran one play from from their own 33 picking up a yard, then a second. The second play was a pitch to Joe Petit who got a block sprung by Mike Howard, turned on the jets and outran three Indians down the side line for a 67 yard touch down run, the way Spencer Ridenhour used to do. Mike Howard kicked the point and it was 7-0 Tigers with 3 minutes played.

 

Tiger D-Time!

A Save, 2 Sacks and a Block.

 

After an exchange of series, a promising Roosevelt series was stopped on a big tackle by Joe Petit. With third and 1 on the White Plains 48,  Zach Thompson, Indian QB hit Byron McKenzie on a flat pass at the Tiger 40, he spun out and had Joe Petit to beat at the Tiger 35 for a touchdown but Joe collared him to save 6. On 2^nd and 10 from the 35, Mike Howard and Ray Mitchell sacked Thompson for an 8 yard loss, relentlessly clawing their way through to him. The ball was back on the Tiger 43.

 

On the next play, the orange and black sent a pack of Tigers streaming through the Roosevelt line  and Savaughn Greene, Mike Howard and Paris Young chewed Thompson pinning him for another 8 yard loss. The ball was at midfield.

 

The snap for the punt came backon 4th and a mile. Thompson took too much time and Gino Gisondi blocked the punt. Joe Petit picked it up on a bounce and turned into a rhino with speed, heading straight to the far side line, turning the corner and outracing three pursuers for a 35 yard return of the blocked punt for a touchdown. The kick failed and the Tigers lead 13-0 after the first quarter.

 

The Tigers stopped Roosevelt on their next two series, Roosevelt penetrating to the Tiger 35, only to lose 10 yards on a penalty back to their own 48, on the second, and they punted away. After White Plains failed to gain a first down on one possession, they found themselves with a first and 10 on their own 44 with 3. Paul Labarbera threw into the right flat, far sideline and Eric Layton picked it off running it back 60 yards for a score. A 2-point run made the score 13-8 at halftime, Roosevelt. The pick was just one of those untidy things that now and then stings.

 

 

LaBarbera Lasers Light up 3^rd Quarter.

 

White Plains took the kickoff to start the second half and with a 3^rd and 4 on their own 38, Labarbera dropped straight back, got 3 seconds to pass while Ray Mitchell angled down the side line into a slant pattern over the middle, 5 yards in front of the deep safety. Paul zipped it in to Rumblin Ray on the letters! Ray turned gracefully at the Roosevelt 40 to recept and curved cross the field down the sideline for an electrifying 53 yard pass play to extend the Tiger lead to 19-8.

 

Shawn Edwards in the dust blocks punt in the third quarter. The second Tiger Block of the day. Photo WPCNR Sports.

 

As ball bounces loose it bounces backward, Joe Petit in the melee, recovers for his second blocked punt recovery of the day to set up the fourth Tiger 6. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

 

 

The Tigers added another big play TD on their only sustained drive of the afternoon. After Petit recovered his second blocked punt of the afternoon at the Roosevelt 40, the Tigers drove in for their final score.  

 

 

Shifty Shakes Loose: The big play  came with a 4^th and 6 on the Roosevelt 23. Labarbera dropped back and connected with Shavaughn Green at the 15 yard line running parallel to the line over the middle, “Shifty ” shown here, his shoulders visible ahead of Roosevelt’s  Jose Guzman(16) and Mike Garcia (53)  finessed his way down to the 9 yard line for a first and goal. Jerry Henry (44) ran Green down on the five.  On the next play, Paul found Shifty all alone in the far corner of the endzone for Paul’s second touchdown pass of the day. Photo, WPCNR Sports

 

The Tigers controlled the ball the rest of the way for a solid 26-8 victory. Roosevelt committed a number of holding penalties costing them good gains because of the swift Tiger pursuit today.

 

Coach Praises Dedication.

 

The Tigers had lost three games in a row, but Coach Skip Stevens had this to say about the Tiger commitment when asked how he keeped them focused and up:

 

“It’s a testament to our kids,” Stevens said, “We don’t have a lot of numbers and we’re very, very young. But there’s one thing that this team does. They get along and they work hard and they don’t give anybody a hard time. So when we say we have practice, they’re there. When we say we’re working hard they work hard. When we say practice is over, they go home. When we say we’re just going to get better every week, or every day, they don’t question what we’re trying to do, which I think is great. They just get better every single day. I think that’s self-motivation for them. They know how young they are, they know inexperienced we are, they start putting it together, and they keep their own morale up.”

 

Tuning the D

 

“The defense was better today based on condifence. We just simplied things,” Stevens said. “We played two different defenses today. Two different coverages. That was it. We knew they had a great back in Hogue (Douglas), and when he went down early (in the 2^nd quarter), that made it a little easier for us, not that we let up, but it made it easier in the fact, that you’re not stopping a division one kid.”

 

On the Petit big play, Stevens described it as “the Jet Sweep,”  “Great start. It’s called the Jet Sweep, we try to get the timing from the snap to the quarterback as fast as possible. Joe (Petit) was able to break one tackle because he’s so strong and he outran everybody.”

 

Joe Petit. Tiger of the Day: a 67 yard TD run, a 33 yard blocked kick return for a touchdown, and two TD saving tackles. Photo, WPCNR Sports

 

On the blocked punt that Petit scooped up and ran in for the 13-0 lead, Stevens said the Tigers try to pressure the offensive line, the snapper and the punter. “We just missed it early (when White Plains pressure caused a 5 yard punt in the first quarter). We got after it the second time. Gino Gisondi got a hand on it. Joe (Petit) tried to pick it up, fumbled around with it, and again because Joe is so big and strong and fast, he’s able to pick it up, break a tackle and outrun everybody to the sideline.”

 

Petit also saved a touchdown  taking down  Jeremiah Sanchez at the White Plains 46, when Joe was the last Tiger standing on the very next series.

 

Paul LaBarbera deserves kudos for his three excellent passes, for touchdowns to Rumblin Ray Mitchell (55 yards) and Savaughn “Shifty” Green for a 4^th and 5 conversion and a touchdown. LaBarbera used the pocket, and threw perfect passes today to seal the first V.

 

One of the Great Thrills the Opening Kickoff. Mike Howard kicks off to begin another Tiger autumn Saturday afternoon. Saunders High is next on the Schedule.  Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. October 6, 2006  UPDATED October 7, 2006 12 Noon E.D.T.: White Plains Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety  Daniel Jackson reports a 34 year old woman was attacked Thursday evening at approximately 11 P.M. while walking her dog on Old Mamaroneck Road. Police apprehended the same White Plains man who was charged for the robbery of a resident of 90 Bryant Avenue last week, and charged him in connection with the attempted sexual assault.

The official police statement from Commisioner Jackson: “Last night we arrested Elvis Mckenzie, a 20 year old from 115 Old Mamaroneck Rd. for attempted rape, assault, and sex abuse, for an incident that occurred on Old Mamaroneck Rd. at around 2250hrs. The incident occurred as a 34 year old woman was walking her dog on Old Mamaroneck Rd. She received minor injuries in the attack and the suspect was arrested at his Old Mamaroneck Rd. residence.

Mckenzie was also arrested on 9/29 for the robbery at 90 Bryant Ave. of another White Plains resident. He has been arraigned and remanded to the custody of the county jail. Both cases are now in the hands of the courts.”

Deputy Commissioner Jackson reports Saturday: “Mckenzie is currently being held at the county jail. We will certainly monitor his status due to his alleged connection to these serious incidents.”

Jackson said he could not comment on bail decisions of the court made in regard to the previous arrest.

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WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. By John F. Bailey. October 5, 2006: The details of the new lease approved Tuesday evening by the Common Council contracting the city to rent the Senior Center from Armory Plaza Preservation Housing Development Fund, Inc. (a newly formed subsidiary of the present owners of the property, Related  Apartment Preservation of Manhattan) for the next twenty years with an option for thirty were made public in the City Clerk Office today.

The city, as reported by WPCNR previously will pay $264,000 a year  (up from $126,000 the city has been paying the last twenty years annually), for ten years to rent the the senior center. After 10 years there will be a 2% increase in year 11 (to $269,280) running through year 20, or to year 30 if the 10 year extension is agreed upon. The document dated August 30, 2006, was not included in the back-up material provided the media Monday October 2.

The document describes the increase as follows: “The recommended rent for the new lease brings the rent on the leased premises to market rate…” and notes “Although this represents an initial significant increase in the (city’s) rent for the leased premises, this increased rent is necessary to preserve the low income senior citizen housing on the premises and represents the first increase in 20 years.”

The city was told by Related Preservation Companies in August that a recent Housing and Urban Development survey had determined that Related Preservation had been charging too much for the senior apartments and told the company to reduce their rents. The reduction as reported by Andrew Glantz, press spokesperson for HUD’s Manhattan office told WPCNR

What has happened as stated in the work session when this lease was discussed is that Related Apartment Preservation has been charging rents over and above guidelines HUD has established and the Housing and Urban Development department has told Related Apartment Preservation to reduce their rents which the company did.  Related Apartment Preservation asked the city to make up the rent loss difference dictated by HUD surveys of typical rents,  in the September work session.

HUD Explains: Rents too High.

Andrew Glantz, spokesman for HUD of Manhattan,  told WPCNR last week that Related Apartment Preservation had been charging $1,087 a month for its 13 efficiences (of which the elderly tenants pay one-third), and HUD demanded Related lower that rent to $925. Glantz said the average decrease was $146 a month, which cost Related Apartment Preservation $1,898 a month in rent or $22,776 a year.

Glantz reported to WPCNR that of the 39 one-bedrooms, Related Apartment Preservation had been charging an average $1,306 a month, and HUD has forced Related to lower that rent to $1,215, a decrease of $91 a month. That works out to $3,549 a month in rent shortfall or $42,588 a year.  The total rental shortfall, according to the figures Glantz supplied on the individual apartments totals $65,364. The city had been paying Related $125,000 a year for rent on the senior citizen center in the Armory. Related wanted the city to up that rent and also take care of a portion of the rent loss demanded by HUD.

 

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. October 4, 2006: White Plains Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Daniel Jackson said today that two motorcyclists collided into the back of a stuck truck which had wedged itself under the footbridge crossing southbound on the Central Westchester Parkway at about noon today. The two cyclists were injured and hospitalized. One of the cyclists from Port Chester, Jackson said was “in bad shape.” Presently G.W. Parkway southbound is closed, Jackson said police expected to have it open by evening.

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WPCNR Common Council Chronicle-Examiner. October 4, 2006, UPDATED 2:20 P.M. E.D.T. with Financials: The Pinnacle, the Ginsburg Development Corporation 28-story luxury condominium housing, received a mixed blessing from the Council which voted to “refer out” a Pinnacle request for extension of time before The Pinnacle has to post a Guaranty Agreement and posting of financial security,  until April 2007. 

 

Councilperson Rita Malmud questioned Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy closely on the council’s ability to enforce the “linkage” of the Pinnacle to the 221 Main Ritz-Carlton opening. Malmud has  realized that in view of The Pinnacle difficulty in getting financing together it will affect The Pinnacle ability to build the 52-unit affordable housing at 260 Main Street by fall 2007, when the Ritz-Carlton is scheduled to be occupied and require a Certificate of Occupancy.

Mr. Dunphy noted that the likelihood of the Pinnacle affordable housing being built by “late 2007” the time when 221 Main Street is targeted for completion and a certificate of occupancy, is unlikely. Ms. Malmud asked what would happen if The Pinnacle failed to cobble together its financing by next April (the deadline of the proposed six month extension). Dunphy said the responsibility for the Cappelli portion of the affordable units would revert back to Mr. Cappelli. Where Mr. Cappelli would build that housing was not conjectured by Mr. Dunphy.  Malmud said she would hope that Mr. Cappelli would commence immediately building his affordable housing share (24 units) immediately if The Pinnacle were to default, saying she would do everything in her power to withhold the certificate of occupancy from Mr. Cappelli until his “share” of the affordable housing was built.

 

Mr. Dunphy, in conciliatory tones, when Malmud asked about what recourse the council had to enforce the affordable housing Mr. Cappelli owes, be built, said the council recourse was that they could without certificates of occupancy from the second tower (now rising above ground level), as a means of enforcing the affordable housing piece.

 

The  Pinnacle is supposed to supply a Guaranty Agreement and posting of financial security on October 7. The council would need to extend the agreement shortly to avoid the responsibility for the affordables reverting back to Mr. Cappelli.

 

$16.3 Million and rising.

Cost per unit: $313,461

 

Documents supplied with the Common Council agenda place the cost of the 52 units of affordable housing to be $16.3 Million (with construction listed as being $12 Million of that total, and the balance in fees). The $16.3 price tag now with $20 Million in funding sources, shows that the cost to build each of the 52 units is $313,461 — comparable to the cost of building Louis Cappelli luxury apartments and condos.

 

 The Pinnacle reports as supplying $6,377,704 of its own equity, and is attempting to lineup financing from Restore New York Initiative ($1 Million) by December 31; HHAP Grant of $1.4 Million by December 31; $364,000 from Federal Home Loan Bank by January 2007, and $2 Million from Westchester County New Home Lands Acquisition fund by November 30, 2006. The documents state this sum of $4.7 Million in grants would be on top of Pinnacle’s $6.4 Million of equity. A White Plains Urban Renewal Agency “bond issue” of $8-9 Million is expected to finance the rest of the project.  (The White Plains URA is only listed in the documents as supplying $4M in funds through bonds, but has authority to offer $8-9 Million). Low Income Tax Credit Equity is also sought and would contribute $6.3 to the project.

 

 The Pinnacle Affordable Housing By the Numbers. Photos by WPCNR News

 

 

“This extension is necessary to afford our client time to secure various governmental grants, which are necessary to the financial viability for constructing the fifty-two (52) units,” the letter requesting the extension said.

 

Demolition on The Pinnacle project was supposed to have begun in September, but it did not. The letter states,

 

“Accordingly, during the additional time needed to obtain commitments from these governmental funding sources, Pinnacle-Westchester LLC will review its design for this building. It has completed one-hundred percent Design Development Drawings upon which its construction estimates have been based. However, further engineering is needed so that alternative structural systems or other modifications mayf be implemented to achieve cost savings.”

 

Following is the fund sources and tax credit calculation and “use of funds” supplied as requested by Councilman Benjamin Boykin: